The Internet has become an increasing popular medium of communication. One popular Internet application is the World Wide Web, which allows users to access servers using a graphical interface. Web access is available using commonly available personal computer hardware and a web browser application.
Another Internet application that is growing in popularity is Internet telephony. There are a number of Internet telephony devices and emerging services that allow a user with a personal computer, which has been properly configured with additional hardware and software, to access other like-equipped personal computers and, through gateways, telephones. Typically, these devices use analog-to-digital speech conversion with packctizing to create a duplex voice-band communication channel. Many of these paths cannot transport touch-tone control signals, such as are used to control voice response units. Other arrangements are not convenient to use, as they require complicated audio input set-ups to work properly.
Voice response units require callers to enter touch-tone control signals to navigate audio menu selections and obtain information or perform functions. Internet users desiring to access voice response units over the Internet are unable to conveniently do so. Internet telephony devices either are inconvenient to use, require complicated additional hardware, or don't work at all. The web graphical interface cannot be used because current web servers have not been interfaced with voice response units. It would be useful to provide the capability for Internet users to access voice response units.